San Ildefonso Polychrome Bowl by Blue Corn

This gorgeous bowl with an incurving wall leading to the opening has a stone polished cream slip over which Blue Corn chose to decorate a 1-½" band at the shoulder. The design is enclosed in a black line at the rim and a double black line at the bowl's mid-body. A ¾" wide vertical band of checkerboard style divides the design into four panels. The designs on these four horizontal panels are dual patterns that repeat on opposite sides.  The design on two opposing panels are feather or arrow shapes which rest on the lower black framing line. Each arrow-shaped figure has black parallel lines at the tip, expanding to brown semi circles framed with black pigment, ending in three triangular shaped brown elements each outlined in black. Floating over this arrow-shaped element is a pair of curved-wall triangles in brown pigment outlined in black, which is repeated at the upper corner of the design.  The other pair of opposing design panels feature similar elements but with more open space with compressed designs.

Crucita Gonzales Calabaza (1921-1999) Blue Corn was born at San Ildefonso Pueblo. She became one of the greatest San Ildefonso Pueblo ceramicists. She made pottery for over 60 years, working in black, red, and polychrome, using a variety of forms.

In the 1960s, Blue Corn and her husband Santiago (Sandy) spent two years experimenting with slips to revive the 19th-century Polychrome wares of San Ildefonso. This experiment resulted in them developing a slip like that used at the pueblo in the 19th century. This stone polished slip revival allowed Blue Corn and others to eventually replace the base slip imported from Cochiti in 1900, which required only rag polishing, and return to traditional San Ildefonso Polychrome of the 19th century. This technique resulted in the highly burnished finish seen today in Blue Corn's pottery.

Condition: very good condition with minor scratches and abrasions.

Provenance: this San Ildefonso Polychrome Bowl by Blue Corn is from the collection of a client of Adobe Gallery

Recommended Reading: Pottery by American Indian Women: The Legacy of Generations by Susan Peterson

TAGS: Maria and Julian, San Ildefonso, Kewa Pueblo - Santo Domingo, Southwest Indian Pottery, Crucita Gonzales Calabaza - Blue Corn